Arctic Monkeys

British indie rockers Arctic Monkeys have cultivated a sound that embodies the classic British rock sound that has been hugely popular over the last sixty years. Internet publicity and numerous tour dates definitely helped the band pay their dues, as their first full-length album didn't release until five years after their formation. The momentum necessary to become a mainstream hit has definitely not waned, as evidenced by the anticipation over the release of their new 2011 album, Suck It and See. Fans around the world are also excited about the announcement of 2011 tour dates beginning in May, and tickets for select concert dates are already in danger of selling out.

Arctic Monkeys formed in 2001, all the members being from the High Green suburb of Sheffield. None of the band's members knew how to play any instruments and the assignment of roles in the band is depicted like a game of musical chairs. After releasing a demo CD that spread like wildfire across the internet, Arctic Monkeys released a single, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys, in 2005. The band scored a tour date at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, where an unusual amount of people showed up to watch them play.

Arctic Monkeys released two singles -- "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down" -- which rocketed to #1 on the UK Singles chart and brought fame to the band's members before a single LP was released. When Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not did release in 2005 it was an instant success, prompting numerous tour dates for fans that had been waiting to see them live. A year later, bassist Andy Nicholson began to feel the pressures of continuous tour dates and decided to leave the band; he was replaced by Nick O'Malley of The Dodgems.

Arctic Monkeys' second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released in 2007 to critical acclaim. As with their previous album, this one shot to #1 on the UK Albums Chart and has since gone double platinum. Arctic Monkeys' third album, Humbug, was released in 2009 and co-produced by one of the band's musical heroes: Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. The album once again went to the top of the UK charts and was critically praised as a masterful evolution of the band's sound. Having one of the most popular albums in music meant that Arctic Monkeys have some of the most popular tour dates in the world right now.

With Humbug as a sort of cliffhanger in the evolution of Arctic Monkeys, fans can't wait for Suck It and See. The album is set to release on June 6, but not before Arctic Monkeys play concert dates throughout the entire United States. Tour dates in 2011 will begin on May 17 in Washington, D.C., with concert dates set for a handful of major US cities before heading to Sheffield, UK on June 10. Arctic Monkeys will play concert dates at a number of European music festivals before the end of scheduled 2011 tour dates on September 3. Fans in the US should take this opportunity to catch Arctic Monkeys tour dates in 2011, as the group doesn't visit the states for concert dates very often.